Government extends season for visitor information centres

The operating season for provincially operated visitor information centres (VICs) will be extended in an effort to encourage tourism activity beyond the summer months, Tom Hedderson, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation announced today.

All VICs will open May 8, 2006 this year, which is about two weeks earlier than last year, and many will remain open until the end of October. This is part of the mandate of the provincial tourism product development strategy to grow the spring and autumn shoulder seasons.

"Visitor information centres play an integral role in our tourism industry and are often the first point of contact for visitors to our province. The centres provide important tourism information and counseling services to over 130,000 tourists per year," said Minister Hedderson.

"The extended season demonstrates our commitment to attracting more visitors outside the traditional tourist period by ensuring that visitor information services are available during the spring and the fall."

In recent years, the provincial VICs operated from around May 20 to September 28. However, provincial tourism statistics show that visitors are arriving in the province earlier in the year, particularly those wishing to see icebergs. At the same time, there is tremendous opportunity to encourage and increase travel later into the fall.

Government operates seven VICs located strategically throughout the province at major gateways and travel intersections in North Sydney, Port aux Basques, Deer Lake, Notre Dame Junction, Clarenville, Whitbourne and Argentia.

In addition, there will also be extended daily hours at certain centres allowing for better service to tourists. The operating hours vary at each location due to traffic patterns and demand but, generally, most centres are open from 9 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. during peak season and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the spring and fall.

An estimated 469,600 visitors traveled here in 2005, an increase of 4.5 per cent over 2004. The Conference Board of Canada�s Canadian Tourism Research Institute is forecasting provincial tourism growth of 4.6 per cent in overnight visits for Newfoundland and Labrador in 2006.

Media contact: Susanne Hiller, Communications (709) 729-0928, 728-7762 susannehiller@gov.nl.ca

For more information on vacationing in Newfoundland and Labrador, call the Tourism Information Line at 1-800-563-NFLD.

2006 05 05                                   12:15 p.m.